Folding stake-pocket.



J. M. ROHLFING.

FOLDING STAKE POCKET. APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1914.

1,123,143. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

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J. M. ROHLFING. FOLDING STAKE POGKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1914.

1 1 23, 1 43. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

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TED STATES T FI J'OHN M. ROHLFING, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FOLDING STAKE-POCKET.

Specification of Eetters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed July 11, 1914. Serial No. 850,456.

Figure 1is a front view of the preferredform of my invention with the loop member folded down against the side of the car. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front View of a modified form. Fig.

.4 is a side view of a second modified form.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the form shown in Fig. 3/ Fig. 6 is a detail of still another modified for m. Fig. 7 is'a top. view of still arfotherform. Fig. 8 is-a front view of the same. Fig. 9 shows a front view of a sixth form. Fig. 10, a front view of a seventh form. Fig. 11, a side elevation of the same.

My invention relates to collapsible or foldable stake pockets for railroad cars, which are characterized by having the loop or pocket portion which embraces the stake, foldable back against the side of the car to which the pocket is attached, for the purpose of removing it out of the way of possible injury.

The purpose ofmy invention is to provide a very simple and strong form of stake pocket which .may be manufactured very cheaply, and which may be readily attached to the car, and very easily and rapidly moved toits infolded or outfolded position.

In the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that my invention includes a pair of strap members 1, 1n thls instance identical,

tremities 7 which are engaged behind" the strap members 1, and between these extremities is shaped so as to provide a loop adapted to embrace the stake and hold it in position against the side of the car. the preferred form, the loop member is made of fiat strip material of proper dimensions, and the supporting pocket 4 is of the proper depth to receive the extremities 7, and leaves ust suflicient space between its inner face and the wall of the car to permit the extremities 7 to slip down thereinto when the loop member is swung outward to its horizontal position. lVhen the extremities 7 are so positioned in the supporting pocket 4:, the loop member will be held in its horizontal position by contact with the inner face of the strap member 1 and the side of the car. The retaining pocket 5 is sufficiently wide to receive the extremities 7 when the loop member is folded downwardly to a vertical position, and is of sufficient height to allow clearance for the swinging of the loop member into its horizontal position. When the loop member is in its horizontal position, and it is desired to fold it back against the side of. the car, it is first lifted so that the extremities 7 are removed from the supporting pockets 4:, and then allowed to swing downwardly, the greater breadth of the retaining pocket 5, permitting the extremities 7 to swing over.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, the loop member 6 is of round bar material, and has its extremities turned upwardly at right angles to the general plane of the loop to provide supporting lugs 8. The strap members 1, instead of being have but a single pocket of height somewhat greater than the diameter of the extremities 7 of the loop member. Somewhat above the middle of the pocket, the strap members are broadened out to form retaining faces 9 which lie in the general vertical line of the lugs 8. or vertical position, the extremities 7 are in the upper portion of the pocket, and the lugs 8 rest on the shoulders formed by the tops of the retaining portions 9. To move the loop to its horizontal position, it is first swun outhorizontally, and its extremities then a lowed to slip downwardly in the pockets of the strap members 1, so that the lugs 8 are engaged behind the retaining members 9. The engagement of the lugs 8 lctween- W'hen the.loop 6 is in its infolded the side of the car and the retaining memthe major portion of the loop member 6 is of round bar material, but its extremities are flattened and broadened so that their height is greater than their thickness, conforming in this particular to the general shape of the extremities 7 of the loop in Figs. 1 and 2. This form shown in Figs. 4 and 6 has the ends 10 bent forwardly in the general plane .of the loop member 6 to form stops which operate to prevent lateral shifting of the loo The form illustrated in Fig. 4 has an auxiliary loop 11 mounted in a lower pocket 12 of the strap member 1 and connected to the loop member 6 by means of a suitable link 14:. I

The form illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 has bracket .members 1' formed with the horizontally disposed supporting portions 1 directed inwardly, and the pockets 1 having' the upper walls 1. The extremities of the supporting portions 1 are directed rearwardly to provide hangers 1 The loop member 6 hasits side portions or legs diverging and terminating in the extremities 7 which are adapted to fit within the pocket 1 and contact with the top walls 1 thereof when the leg portions are resting on the top of the supports 1. In this form, the loop is folded to its vertical position by swinging it upwardly so that the extremities 7 are moved downwardly out of the pockets 1", in which position the loop is supported vertically against the side of the car upon the hangers 1?. To move the loop to its horizontal position, it is lifted vertically until the extremities 7 engage in the pockets 1", and then allowed to swing out horizontally.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, the strap members 1 have the inwardly directed flanges 15 which lie in the general vertical line of the leg portions of the loop 6. The loop is formed of bar material, and has outwardly directed extremities. The strap members 1 are formed with a single pocket of depth somewhat greater than twice the diameter of the extremities of the loop. The upper wall of the pocket is removed from the top of the flanges 15 by a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the loop. When the loop is in its horizontal position, the extremities engage the top wall of the pocket, and the legs are supported upon the top of the flanges 15.

.The loop is folded into its-vertical position by swinging it upward until the legs thereof can clip downwardly behind the flanges 15.v

When the extremities of the loop are then moved downward to the bottom of the pockets, the loop will be held in its vertical position by the flanges'15. In the form illustrated in Fig. 9, the loop 6 has forwardly directed stops 6 and the strap members have outwardly directed flanges 16.- In this form, the loop is made of bar material and-the pockets of the strap members 1 have a depth of substantially four times the diameter of the extremities 7. When the loop member is folded downwardly, the stops 6 can slip behind the flanges 16, but when the loop is lifted above the flanges and swung .outwardly to its horizontal position, the stop members 6 will rest, on top of the flanges 16 and support the loop in its horizontal position. I In all of the foregoing forms, 'it will be seen that the loop member is shiftable from one level to another, and is adapted at one of these levels to be supported by the strap members in its outfolded or horizontal position, and in the other of said levels is permitted to occupy its vertical or infolded position.

In the forms illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the portions of the loop adapted to engage the strap members are more extensive transversely of the general plane of the loop than they are in the plane of the loop, and by virtue of this feature, the loops are adapted to be supported in their hori-' 1. A stake'pocket comprising strap members adapted or attachment to the side of a car, a loop member supported by said strap members and adapted to embrace a portion of a stake, the strap members being formed with portions adapted to support said loop member in a horizontal position and portions adapted to support the loop member in a vertical position, said loop member being movable in a vertical direction into engagement with one or the other of said portions of the strap members.

2. A stake pocket comprising strap members adapted for attachment to the side of a car, a loop member supported by said strap members and adapted to engage a portion of a stake, said strap members including portions adapted to coiiperatewith the sideof the car, to support said loop in horizontal position and portions adapted to coiiperate car, a loop member adapted to engage a stake and supported by said strap members,

said strap members having portions adapted to support said loop in a vertical position and portions adapted to support the same in a horizontal position, said portions being vertically removed from each other, and said loop member being movable vertically into engagement with'either thereof.

4. A stake pocket comprising strap members adapted for attachment to the side of a car, a loop member adapted to engage a stake and swingingly supported by said strap members,-saidloop member being'arcuately movable from an infolded to an outfolded position and vertically movable relative to the strap members for the purpose of securing it in its outfolded position.

5. A stake pocket comprising strap mem bers adapted for attachment to the side of a car, and provided with a horizontal retaining face and a vertical retaining face, and a loop member swingingly supported by said strap members and movable into engagement With said retaining faces selectively for the purpose of support in operative or inoperative positions, respectively.

6. A stake pocket comprising strap members adapted for attachment to a car, a loop member swingingly supported thereby, said loop member being movable vertically relative to the strap members to an operative position wherein it is fixed against downward arcuate movement.

7. A stake pocket comprising strap members, a loop member supported by said strap members, one of said strap members being formed with a portion adapted to support said loop member in a horizontal position, and'a portion adapted 'to support the loop member in a vertical position, said 100p member being movable in a vertical direction into engagement with one or the other of said portions of the strap member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 30th day of June, 1914.

JOHN M. ROHLFING.

Witnesses:

JAMES J. COOPER, PAUL M. BEARD. 

